What is the objective of a preliminary investigation?

• A. To gather facts, identify suspects, preserve evidence, and determine the appropriate course of action.
• B. To publish a report
• C. To arrest everyone involved
• D. To close the case quickly

Answer: (A)

The main goal here is to gather facts, identify suspects, preserve and document evidence, and determine the appropriate course of action. In a preliminary investigation, you’re doing the initial fact-finding at the scene or soon after, focusing on what happened, who was involved, and what needs to be done next. This means securing the scene to prevent contamination, interviewing witnesses and victims, noting times and locations, and collecting or documenting physical evidence so its integrity is maintained (chain of custody). All of this lays the groundwork for deciding how to proceed—whether to conduct a fuller follow-up investigation, obtain probable-cause determinations, or pursue charges.

Publishing a report is a later step once the facts are collected and verified, not the objective of the initial investigation. Arresting everyone involved is neither practical nor appropriate as the sole aim; the goal is to determine who, what, where, when, and how, and to establish the right next action based on facts and evidence. Closing the case quickly without solid information would miss the purpose of gathering reliable facts and ensuring due process.